


Give us kind keepers

by Dhillarearen



Category: Cosmere - Brandon Sanderson, Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: F/M, Post-Oathbringer, Veil's driving, happy people having fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-06 08:30:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13407390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dhillarearen/pseuds/Dhillarearen
Summary: Veil and Adolin, new parents, get an evening off and spent it in good company.





	Give us kind keepers

It would become me

As well as it does you: and I should do it

With much more ease; for my good will is to it,

And yours it is against.

 

— _The Tempest_ , III Act Scene 1

 

* * *

 

“—so Shallan’s had the baby, right, she’s out, and Adolin, crying more than the child is, mind you, grin bigger than his face, comes out with ’Heralds, she’s so? Storming small?’”

The roar of laughter covered Adolin’s attempt to explain himself, but he was laughing as well. Veil grinned, leaning back on the bench and taking her mug with her. It was only watered-down-ale, but it was doing wonders for the exhaustion that had threatened to pull her into the ground at the beginning of the night. 

Adolin nudged her shoulder, having given up trying to shout over rowdy Windrunners. The glow of spirited talk in welcoming company had settled about him like a mantle, but even so it couldn’t conceal the dark circles under his eyes. Their daughter was but two months old, and still kept them up nights. Yet it had taken an hour’s strong argument for Veil and Adolin to leave her with her grandparents for the evening. Storms. Veil never thought she could love any person as much as she loved her child. In the back of her mind, she heard Radiant and Shallan agree.

It was good to get out with Adolin for a few hours, though. Radiant had tried to convince them to go to a _nice_ place with the sparse time that they had, but Renarin had passed by with a posse of Kaladin’s squires on the way to the taverns and had hailed his brother, and after a round of introductions Veil had agreed to the invitation. Radiant had been in an icy snit ever since. Veil grinned. She liked doing things Radiant didn’t approve of.

“That’s not even the best part,” Veil said, slapping a hand on the rough tabletop and claiming the attention of the others once more. Beside her, she heard Adolin start to shake with anticipatory giggles. “Because when Dalinar came in, and Shallan and Adolin finally let him hold the babe, he just—“

“Heralds. She’s so storming small,” Renarin broke in, pitching his voice in a spot-on impression of his father’s rockslide rumble. The table erupted in mirth again, bridgemen thumping Veil and both Kholin brothers on the back with tipsy excess force. Veil allowed herself a laugh of her own, leaning forward again to prop her head on a closed fist. Adolin reached around her back to refill his mug from the water-pitcher. He’d not drunk even yellow wine since their daughter had been born. Shallan thought that was a little extreme, if sweet, but Radiant appreciated the logic of it and Veil the sentiment. No matter what should happen—and Veil, Radiant, and Shallan had found a surprising number of new dangers in the world now that she had a child—Adolin would be ready.

“You should come out with us again,” said Lyn, toasting Veil. She was drinking something significantly stronger than ale, Veil noted with lazy envy. Ah, but she wouldn’t trade her daughter for all the wine in Alethkar. Even when she screamed, Veil thought. Yes, even when she screamed. Kelek’s breath, but that child had a set of lungs on her! Was it right to be proud of that? It didn’t matter. Veil was proud anyway.

Adolin yawned crackingly wide, shaking Veil out of her reverie. “Thanks,” he said, smiling at Lyn, and then at his brother, and then around at them all. He yawned again. 

“Lack of sleep getting to you?” Renarin asked. Adolin pulled a face at him. 

“We should probably go,” Adolin said. “She’ll be wanting her parents back.”

Drehy frowned. “But I thought you left her with Shallan?”

Veil kicked Adolin’s leg as a precaution, but Adolin had taken a large gulp of water instead of answering, so it was unneeded. “You think this sap would take off and leave his wife alone while he’s out drinking? Dalinar and Navani have the little one. Shallan’s getting some well-needed rest.”

It wasn’t even technically a lie, Shallan pointed out to Veil silently. _I don’t have to worry about how all these people see me, and they’re inclined to accept you. It’s nice._

Silly girl worried too much about the wrong things.

“Well, if this doofus is leaving, I might as well walk him home,” Veil said, rising despite the protests of her table-mates, Lyn loudest among them. Veil waved them down, rolling her eyes to hide that she was touched. They trusted her too quickly, these people, but they were a good lot. Maybe the trust was Adolin’s influence; he had a number of friends with the bridgemen and their additions, through Renarin probably? 

Adolin was uncharacteristically quiet on the way home. Veil allowed it for a while. When they were almost to their room she stepped close to elbow him in the side. “Knock-knock, Brightlord. Open up.”

“What? Oh,” said Adolin, flushing slightly. “Sorry. I was thinking, I…” he glanced around, as if searching for something, but there was nothing that Veil could see, not even a person. Then, in a move that nearly stopped Veil in her tracks, Adolin reached out and took her arm.

“Adolin?” Veil peered up into his face, but it was too dark to read his eyes. 

“I had a lot of fun tonight,” he said. His voice was soft, warm. “I mean, I’ve been half-mad worrying about our goggle-eyed-girl, and if she’s been sleeping or crying or sick…that’s being a parent, I suppose? But in any case. It was good.” Veil blinked. He was talking to her like he talked to—

Adolin bent down and kissed her on the cheek.

Veil did stop this time, right in the middle of the tunnel.

_Well that’s good news,_ said Radiant.

Shallan was beaming.

Thank _storms_ there was no-one around to see Veil so discomposed. Except for Adolin. But he wouldn’t hold it against her.

“Let’s go save our daughter from my father’s idea of a bedtime story,” Adolin said. His voice was back to its normal volume, and full of cheer. He didn’t let go of Veil’s arm all the rest of the way back.

**Author's Note:**

> I promise their daughter has a name I'm just terrified of inventing names for worlds I haven't built myself lmao
> 
> (If it's not clear, Veil got all lightweaver-ed up as herself as soon as it wouldn't confuse anyone to do so. I imagine Veil prefers looking like herself, not like Shallan or Radiant? And Veil had an idea that she and Adolin wouldn't be going to a hoity-toity restaurant or something, which is a lot easier when she doesn't look like Ms. Brightlady Radiant Shallan. I figure people are used to Veil and Adolin bein' buddies by now, and Adolin is really quick to shut down any sly suggestions he might be cheating on his wife.)


End file.
